


Every bond has their own unique color

by Aurelius_D



Series: Living in messed up realm [5]
Category: Dead by Daylight (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Character Development, Depression, First Kiss, Fluff, Friendship, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, M/M, No Smut, Suicidal Thoughts, mention of other characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:08:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25046674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aurelius_D/pseuds/Aurelius_D
Summary: The rumor about Jake and Myers were spread, everyone knew about them (even some of them saw it themselves) this made Jake's relationship with his fellow survivors more uncomfortable so it pressured Jake. will he be able to solve his problems? or will he run away again from the pressure like in his previous world?
Relationships: Dwight Fairfield/Evan MacMillan | The Trapper, Michael Myers/Jake Park
Series: Living in messed up realm [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1787017
Comments: 28
Kudos: 114





	1. Iron will

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, thank you for stopping by. As always, thank you for all kudos and comments in previous part. Please enjoy the story~
> 
> Rated M for suicidal thoughts
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any characters in this story

_Jake's destiny was set even inside his mother's womb. Heir to wealth, noble manners and caretaker of the family reputation and legacy. During torture it's not pain that breaks a man, it's immense pressure. And Jake couldn't handle any more pressure. Instead he sought the opposite of fine dining and maids. He left the grid and ended up with a forest as closest neighbor. A self-made outsider, Jake understands nature. He's not there to tame something, rather him becoming feral. Remove the brutal Killers that seek out blood to drain and Jake would feel just at home. No Wi-Fi. No Fortune-500 companies. No father nor mother. Years away from modern life has given Jake a new feel for problems. Pain is just an obstacle that hinders you from getting fed. No matter what is hunting you, you need to stay one step ahead. Struggle, blend in, adapt. Just don’t make it easy for others to erase you from the Earth's surface._ _– Jake Park’s lore –_

* * *

Jake stood alone, around him was pinch black. _“Ah, it’s that dream again, I’ll hear those voices again …”_ Lately Jake often had a dream from his past that he thought he had forgotten, he couldn’t remember their face or what they were doing at that time but he remembered the words they said that shape him now.

Older boy: “Oh my god Jake, look at you! Why do you eat so messy? A beggar will call you a brother if this keeps up.”

Toddler Jake: “I’m sorry hyung …”

Older boy: “Here, let me feed you. You really can’t do anything without me.”

_My big brother is better than me, he can do anything I can’t. He’s smart, cool and kind. If only I can be like him even just a bit, I wouldn’t be such a burden to my parents …_

Elegant woman: “Jake, it’s children’s day, you can pick any toy you want~”

Young Jake: “Yay, thanks mom! I want this blue car toy one, can I have it?”

Elegant woman: “Are you sure you want that one? I think this red one is better.”

Young Jake: “But I like the shape of the blue one better.”

Elegant woman: “But the quality is not that good, this red one will last longer than the blue one.”

Young Jake: “So … I can’t have this blue one?”

Elegant woman: “Let’s buy the red one, trust me, I know what the best for you.”

Young Jake: “Okay”

_To be honest, I like the blue one better, it’s okay if it’s cheaper, have lower quality or it will not last longer. I don’t understand, she said I can have anything I wanted but it turned out I can’t because I don’t understand what’s good for myself._

Young Jake: “You’re so cool father, those children looks so happy.”

Neatly dressed man: “Yes, losing parents in such young age was really sad. That’s why I want to help them as much as I can.”

Young Jake: “When I grow up, can I do something cool like you too father?”

Neatly dressed man: “Of course you can! Tomorrow is your first day at school so starting tomorrow, study hard and become successful business man like me, that way you can make a lot of money and you definitely can help many unfortunate peoples like them.”

Young Jake: “Yes father.”

Neatly dressed man: “Good, make me proud son.”

_I saw my father smile and happy because of something I said, honestly that’s the only thing that matter to me so I promised myself that I will success then I could make him proud of me, to see him smile at me, acknowledge me and praise me but that day was the last day I see him smile at me because I can’t do well at anything he told me to do …_

Jake: “Hey, where do you think I did it wrong? My dad seems really disappointed because of my grades … he planning to move me to another school.”

Jake’s friend: “Maybe you’re too lazy?”

Jake: “I’m always do my best at my studies, you know I study from morning in school after that I go to cram school, I even study until 2 A.M in library. but …”

Jake’s friend: “Well, it’s not like you have a problem with your brain so if you study harder I bet you can get a good grade”

Jake: “… I just think maybe I’m not good at academic stuff so I’m not sure I have to continue my studies in an elite school.”

Jake’s friend: “Jake, your family are rich, your parents are nice, your brother treat you well, girls easily attract to you. It must be nice to have a perfect life like you so stop complaining, you’re being ungrateful. There’s a lot of people that not as lucky as you”

Jake: “… Okay …”

Jake’s friend: “In comparison, my family-“

_He’s right, I’m just overthink it, I just frustrated because I can’t reach their expectations of me. My parents know what is best for me. Don’t complain Jake, don’t be ungrateful. If you keep complaining, not only your parents, your friends will hate you too …_

Wise looking man: “Jake, I need to talk to you.”

Jake: “May I help you with something professor?”

Wise looking man: “About your assignment, why can’t you analyze this journals better? You’re a college student now, you have to do better than this. If you keep this up, you’ll fail even in your first semester.”

Jake: “I already tried my best but there are some subjects I didn’t understand …”

Wise looking man: “When you said ‘I already tried my best’ that means you are already give up, it’s just an excuse to not tried harder than you already have. It’s for your own good Jake, remember that.”

Jake: “Yes professor, I’ll … do my best next time.”

_I’ll have to improve myself, it’s for my own good. Next time, I’ll make the professor proud of me, father will be proud too if I do better next time, mother will never get scolded by father again because she couldn’t raise a good son for him, and my brother will not have to embarrassed because of his incompetent little brother again._

Beautiful girl: “Jake, let’s just split up.”

Jake: “What!? Why?”

Beautiful girl: “Because you so busy with yourself, you always study all day if you’re not study, you’re asleep. You never been there when I need you, we dating for about a month but we never kiss even once! Did you really love me?”

Jake: “Of course I love you.”

Beautiful girl: “but I’m not anymore … goodbye Jake, I hope you’ll success on your studies …”

_I love her. She so perfect to me even if she just sits still, doing nothing. But I’m different, I’m not enough to her … and to my friends, teachers, family …_

Long haired woman: “Do you know? Mr. Park’s second sons was run away from home.”

Short haired woman: “What!? He probably wants something expensive from his parents but denied so he sulking, what a spoiled child. I pity Mr. Park and Mrs. Park. They are so kind and selfless, they known as very generous donors to people in need but they have to take care of their son's selfishness.”

Long haired woman: “At least their first son was bright, it seems like he will surpass his father’s successful career.”

Short haired woman: “Yeah, I think so too.”

_Yeah, I too pity my parents too. they have a good reputation and here I’m the one who ruin it … I always lack of something and it made me a good-for-nothing, at least I won't bother anyone now. I have to get out from there fast, I will not wait until my family told me that they don’t need me anymore because I’m scared to hear that from them …_

_I want someone to listen me …_

_I want someone to praise me for my efforts …_

_I want someone to need me …_

_Is it wrong if I wish this?_

_Am I being ungrateful?_

_Am I really can’t accomplish anything?_

_Am I really a good-for-nothing?_

_Where did I do it wrong?_

_Why can’t I make everyone I cherish happy?_

_I have to keep hold it in, I can’t be weak, I have to strengthen my will_

_But it’s so lonely …_

* * *

Jake was awake abruptly because of his dream. His cheeks were wet, he probably cried when he sleeps. He felt so lonely …

The situation around Jake has gone from bad to worse, everyone already knew about him and Myers, even the killers. They may pretend that they didn’t know but it was obvious and Jake could feel it from their eyes.

Some of the killer shown some interest in Jake while some of them were hate him more. Majority of them began to test how far the shape would let them hurt his obsession. The huntress and the plague were not hurting Jake as much as they did before because they respect Myers.

Myers seems to like observing his expressions, the masked man really curious at him ever since Myers saw his reaction when they first met. He was busy hiding his embarrassment so he didn’t scream or scared of the killer like other people that’s why Myers become interested on him. He didn’t believe that all of this begin from his stupidity.

After the half-Asian man screamed for the first time in front of Myers (because he was stabbed by entity), the killer become more obsess with him, more than Laurie.

Myers not only stalked him, he even began to touch him and did more intimate thing with Jake. And Jake just let him did that because he was need it so bad. The feeling of being wanted, he never felt such a pleasure from his past live and it led Jake to this situation.

This change of situations made the tension around campfire (if Jake was there) were more intense. Jake could feel the pressure. Everyone was smiling at him but their eyes told him they were not. It’s just a facade, maybe it’s a way they showing that they tried to understand his situation even when they didn’t like how some killers began to treat Jake different from them. Lately, Jake didn’t stop by the campfire and immediately went to the woods after trial.

He couldn’t complain, he always couldn’t, after all it’s not like they bullied him. He was the one that changed. Everyone had a rough time too, they had their own problems but they tried so hard to survive and here he easily survives without repairing generators or being chased in some trials. It was weird enough that they were not yell at him or beat him until now (but he may prefer that), he just couldn’t stand the pressure.

That’s why to take advantage of killers interests and hatred towards him, the raven haired man told his friends that he would take care of the killers, they just have to focus on repairing generators and escape. They didn’t have to worry about him. After that some tension began to lose a bit because the chance of his friends survived risen when he did this strategy.

Actually his friends didn’t know anything about what killers did to him and he didn’t want them to know. He just found a strategy that suitable for him, the one that won’t make him useless. Everything was great but it slowly took a toll on him. Some killers beat him up and let him escape through the hatch after they satisfied.

The killers actually were merciless. Be it because of their interest on him or hatred towards him, all they do was torture him, even though some of them let him escaped after they did it. For examples: The legions like to humiliate him, calling him a sex doll, a whore, or other thing that made him feel like a dirtiest thing in the world. It seems they idolize Myers so they were jealous of him.

The ghost face likes to blackmailing him, because the former journalist had some pictures of him being tortured by other killers, he told Jake that if half-Asian man didn’t do what he wanted, the ghost face will give the pictures to his friends, and Jake would be back to become burden to his friends. The last time Jake in trial with ghost face, he ordered Jake to reveal one of his friend location, the raven haired man was forced to betrayed his teammate, it seems ghost face wanted to make Jake suffer from guilt.

Jake actually just awake from taking nap after a trial with the pig. His last trial was awful, Amanda told him that she wanted to test him, they were in Gideon meat plants so there’s a lot of her torture device and she introduced him to one of them.

The agreement was if the raven haired man could hold his conscious until his friends finished all generators, she would let them escape unscratched, if he couldn’t she would kill all of his teammates in brutal ways. She said she want to test his loyalty to his teammates.

He managed to stayed conscious for hours of torture so his friends escaped safety. As for him, after all his teammates escaped, he was released from the torture device but after his limbs were twisted and tear little by little for hours, he lost a lot of blood and strength. He limbs probably was disintegrated but he not sure because he could barely see anymore.

After he was released from the torture device, the half-Asian man just lay there waiting for the countdown was over. He remembered that his tears rolled down his cheeks from joy when the entity stabbed him from the ground, his suffering for that trial was over, he even too weak to scream anymore.

Jake shivered just from remembering it, he worried that if his trial would take place on Gideon meat plants again, all he could do was just trembling at a corner in fear, become useless. He could feel his sanity began to slip away little by little.

Watching the campfire would soothe survivors heart but with his circumstances, Jake was rarely at the campfire. Usually, being alone in the woods with some crows works for Jake too but now being alone like this made him feel lonely. The only thing that could soothe him now were Myers, every time he was summoned to a trial he would pray the killer was Myers.

It has been a while since he had trial with the masked man, the last time he met with the older man, Myers in the mood to kill and Jake really disappointed so he just repaired generators until he was grabbed from behind and killed. The raven haired man didn’t care to run for his life anymore, at least he finished fixing a generator before he died.

He missed Myers so much. “What should I do now …” Jake sighed as he rubs his hand on his face and hair, this made his hair messier. He accidentally kicked his toolbox and it caused the content were spilled, he saw a piece of paper among them.

“Oh, it’s the map to red forest from that time.” Jake didn’t realize he still had it, the actual reason he kept that back then was when he follows the map to deliver the tablecloth (he found a nice one in a chest), he passed Haddonfield so he kept it.

Myers sometimes stalked him too, but lately he didn’t, it seems the entity sent him to trial after trial. All this time Jake actually know how to meet Myers outside of trials but he was scared of rejection because he knew that the killer was not always in the mood to do something with Jake.

“…” Jake just stared at the piece of paper.

The raven haired man sighed, he could feel it … his time has run out. The last trial when he was happy from being stabbed by entity, the claws searched deeper than usual into his soul, it seems he was run out of hope … next trial probably would be his last trial before he become an empty shell and tossed to the void.

He had no reason for continue, nothing to look forward. He didn’t have to continue his research because his family probably didn’t wish him to come back. He didn’t have to continue participate in trials because he couldn’t help his teammates. He didn’t have to continue to meet Myers because …

Jake sighed again when he began to think about Myers. It gradually become more painful for Jake to keep meeting him, their relationship (?) was complicated. At first Jake let Myers did that because he thought it just a one-time-thing, but when it continued he just let it happened because it was pleasurable to him too.

As the time passes, Jake become more attached to the older man to the point he had to remind himself that to Myers, he was just something to pass the time. Look at Laurie, Myers could easily swipe his interest from her to Jake. Perhaps his pathetic yearn for attention all this time has brought him to this. When Myers stalked him, he could feel his gaze focusing on him. It made him feel important and needed like it doesn’t matter what he can do or can’t do, if he was good looking or not, that eyes would always focus on him, just plain old Jake.

Lately, while he always hoped to meet Myers in his trials, he was scared too. What if the next time he in mood to kill and ignore him? What if the next time Jake did something wrong and disappoint the older man? What if those eyes were not focusing on him anymore and swiped to another person? Those thought often scared him more than being killed or tortured, it also consuming his energy and sanity.

But it would end soon, his next trial probably near. The raven haired man didn’t have to worry about that anymore. He just wanted to meet Myers one last time, to touch him one last time, even if Myers reject him, its fine too because it was probably inevitable.

 _“I already did everything I can, right? Now that I completely disappear from my previous world, I won’t be a burden to my family. I did what I could so my friends survived the trials. I did my best for them, it doesn’t matter if they satisfied or not … I … I’m done trying to satisfy the others, I want to do something to satisfy myself.”_ Jake thought it again and again until he made up his mind but his eyes were darkening, like it become lifeless.

Jake wrote something on the paper that usually used to draw maps and place it under his toolbox. He took some of his tools and shoved them into his jacket pockets. The raven haired man left, he followed the direction to Haddonfield.

* * *

Dwight just return from his trial. He was escaped after make sure the new survivors Ash, Nancy, and Steve already escaped safely from the new killer, Demogorgon. He was the last one that return to the woods near the campfire. When he walked towards the campfire, the leader heard heavy footsteps behind him and turned around.

“It’s rare for you to visit me, what happen?” Dwight smiled at the taller man, his body languages told the other man that the glasses man was nervous.

“… here, you probably want to know this.” The mysterious taller man handed over some glossy piece of paper.

“What is it? Oh, photos … ah!!!” Dwight adjusted his glasses before his eyes widen as he gasped, he can’t believe what he saw in the photos. “When? Who?” He took some steps forward so he could be closer to the taller man.

“It’s starts since rumors about that boy and the shape began to spread among the killers, you have to talk to that boy if you wish to save him.” The taller man took a step forward too so the moonlight illuminating the tall frame.

“Did shape just let it happened?” The leader was nervous but the other man could hear the smaller man’s angry tone.

“I doubt he know about it and the entity seems not looking forward to see what happened if that man know his obsession was tortured by other killer. That’s why the entity keeps him busy with trials.” The taller man chuckled, he seems found this situation was interesting.

“T-Thank you … MacMillan.” The leader thanked the other man with shaky voice as he raised his gazes to see the killer’s face.

“It’s trapper now. You don’t have to thank me, an idiot accidentally dropped it in my house after he stalked me. Besides, I own you a favor so just consider it settled.” The trapper turned around and left the leader of survivors.

“Evan …” Dwight whispered as he stood looking at the killer with sad eyes until he couldn’t see the taller man anymore.

Dwight turned around and run as fast as he could to the woods. _“So this is what you mean by ‘take care’ of the killers, how can I be so naive to think that it means you tried to loop the killers … I hope I still make it, please be there, Jake.”_ The leader searched the areas where Jake usually rest but found no one’s there. Only a toolbox laid beside a log, some tools were scattered around it.

 _“Is he on a trial?”_ Dwight inspected around the area again but still found nothing so he sat on the log, he decided to waited for the raven haired man appeared. The leader notice there was a piece of paper under the toolbox, it seems placed there so it could be found so he read what’s written on it.

_By the time you find this, I may already disappear. There’s some of my belongings inside a hole in the log, you can have those items to help you to overcome the trials. – Jake –_

“Oh, no …” Dwight could feel his body trembling because of fear, he feared something bad may already happen to Jake. He scared he was too late to save someone important to him again.

Jake was arrived at Haddonfield, stood in front of Myers house. The neighborhood different from the one that used in trials, it was probably changed to made atmospheres creepier. This was probably the one that copied directly from Myers memories because it looks like a normal neighborhood, the doors and windows of the houses were intact. Jake notice that the older man was fond of his house, it probably important to him.

After he remembered that he didn’t have much time, the half-Asian man began to walk to the front door and grabbed the door handle, it wasn’t locked. _“I don’t have to use my tools then,”_ Jake entered the house and began to search for Myers but found nothing.

Jake sat on the couch in the living room, he saw some items on the table like earrings, flowers, mirrors, and other things. He knew killers brought some items to raised their powers, it must be Myers’. Then he saw a tuft of blonde hair. _“Is he had a thing for blonde hair?”_ When he saw his own reflection in the hand mirror he feel slightly sad, his hair was as dark as night like his father, it may be better if he was blonde like his mother.

It was surprisingly fun to inspect the older man’s belongings, Jake felt he understood the other male better but it made him sad in the same time. It probably from Myers previous obsessions or even lovers and it made him slightly jealous. He could feel his heart aches too because he didn’t find anything related to him among Myers possessions.

“I am really just to pass some time …” the raven haired man smiled bitterly as one of his hand now reached the piece of rock, it made of marble, probably from a gravestone. Jake picked it up and put it in his jacket’s pocket. Even if Myers knew Jake stole one of his belongings and wanted to kill him, it didn’t matter anymore, in the end Jake would go to the void anyway.

When the half-Asian man attention now back to the mirror, he saw a familiar shape behind him from the reflection. “Myers …” Jake put the hand mirror back on the table, stood up and turned around to face the older man. Myers was same as ever, but this time he didn’t brought his knife, maybe the killers not allowed to have it outside the trials.

 _“Should I say goodbye to him?”_ The younger man slowly raised his gaze to meet the masked man’s, he saw a glimpse of Myers eyes through the hole at the mask’s eyes. Jake’s eyes now stared at the older man mask’s lips, he remembered that they never kiss even once before, it was because Myers won’t allow him to touch his mask even a bit. One time Jake’s fingertip accidentally touched the back of his mask in one of their intimate moments, it leads to Jake’s wrist broken.

But sometimes there’s a time when Myers let it slip like when Jake was almost pass out, he rested his chin on the crook of the older man’s neck and Jake touched his mask with his cheek or nose.

Jake didn’t hesitate when he raised his right hand to Myers mask this time only to be grabbed by Myers with a bone cracking grip. The raven haired man eyes now on his own wrist, he didn’t feel anything. The pain in his chest from rejection was making the pain on his wrist numb. The younger man could feel the other man glared at him.

There were a few minutes of silence until Jake suddenly stabbed something at older man’s pressure point at his left shoulder, it’s a screwdriver. It made Myers grip on his right wrist loosen, the half-Asian man used this opportunity to stabbed a pocket knife at the masked man’s right shoulder, right on his pressure point. Considering Myers superhuman powers, it would only paralyze Myers’ hands in a few minutes.

Become a victim for cruelty for long time taught Jake about human anatomy, he knew some vital locations that he could take advantage of. Loosing controls on both of his arms, Myers used his left knee to hit the younger man’s stomach. Jake could feel as if his intestine crushed but Jake now has another opportunity. Before the older man’s left leg touch the ground, Jake used all his strength to push the masked man to thrown him off balance.

In a split second, the raven haired man used his weight when he pushed the older man to make Myers fell on his back and hit the back of his head to the floor. Jake just have a few second before Myers recovered from the pain on his head, he knew it from observing the killers when they hit by pallets.

The younger man used this opportunity to open the older man’s mask, Jake pulled up the latex mask until Myers’ lips and nose was exposed. The raven haired man moved both of his hands to gripped on Myers’ Jaw, brought his own lips to touch the older man’s lips.

The older man’s lips were unexpectedly moist, probably from trapped inside a mask most of the time. Jake wanted more so he used his thumbs to open Myers’ mouth and force his tongue to enter the other man’s mouth.

Jake tried to explore all area inside the older man’s mouth with his tongue but his adventure has come to an end when he felt a sharp pain on his tongue. The masked man bite on his tongue as hard as he could, if Jake’s hands didn’t hold Myers’ jaw, his tongue was probably cut off.

The raven haired man grunted in pain, he could feel his tongue damaged to the point it was difficult to talk. He could taste his own blood, it filled his mouth even spilled from his mouth. The older man took this chance to hit Jake’s forehead with his own, causing the younger man to dazed.

The masked man pulled out the screwdriver and the pocket knife from his shoulders, he now could use his hands so he grabbed Jake's jacket and thrown him so the raven haired man laid lifelessly on his back.

After receiving some counterattacked, Jake lose all his strength, he just laid on the floor waiting to be killed, his left eye only could see red because of his bleeding forehead, his breath labored, he had to swallow his blood from the wound on his tongue because he has to breath from his mouth too.

He saw the older man already fixed his mask again. Jake was a bit disappointed, he wished he could see it, he was so focus on tried to kiss Myers seconds ago so he didn’t have a chance to see his face properly but Jake still satisfied, at least he could kiss Myers for the first and last time.

Myers took a few steps to approach the raven haired man, he glared at the dying man. Jake could see the older man feel betrayed by Jake’s attempt to open his mask by force but it seems Myers still willing to wait and listen to the younger man’s explanation.

The raven haired man understood Myers was waiting for him but he didn’t have any strength even just to lift a finger, his tongue was numb so he could hardly talk, he couldn’t give any explanation to the man above him but it’s fine … because it’s all over. The older man would find another obsession to keep himself from being bored.

The older man become impatient and raised his right knee, he was about to stomp on the half-Asian man’s head when he heard Jake’s weak voice. “… Mh … ichael …” Jake tried to use all he had left to let out his last word along with his last breath.

It startled the masked man so in a split second he redirected his attack and he stomped at the wooden floor beside Jake’s head. The younger man has died from blood loss. His lifeless eyes were half open, looking at Myers and his bloody lips formed a small smile.

Myers stared at the lifeless body and a few minutes later when he was about to lift Jake’s body, some entity’s claw come out from the floor, it coiling around Jake lifeless body just like when the entity blocked the generator, it prevented the older man to touch Jake.

The room began to filled with thick fog. it surrounded Myers, approached him and whispered at him …


	2. Calm spirit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a loss made us think of the love we had for the one we lost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, thank you for stopping by. As always, thank you for all kudos and comments in previous chapter. Please enjoy the story~
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any characters in this story

_I am not alone. If you set aside the killers. I have found others. Survivors that are just like me. Or at least I believe so, I want to believe so. Sometimes I manage to just catch a glimpse of a poor soul as he gets carried away. Others I have actually told my name. I do not always want to know their names. It makes it harder as they hang from the hook. I help them...sometimes. Just as they help me. Fear is our common denominator. And we bond. We have nobody else. Human contact and interaction soothes this trial we share. I ask myself whether I am better off alone, or if we can come farther together. Sometimes I bare shame as I sneak away from screams. But I have equally often been on the other side, hanging two feet off the ground, whereas I see someone, watching from shrubbery. Like a witness. Maybe it is important to watch, and remind oneself that pain is not the only thing that burdens our lives at this point? But also our souls. Do we deserve to live if we were to escape? – Benedict Baker about survivors –_

* * *

It’s been trials since Dwight found Jake’s letter, he has been searching for the half-Asian man but he couldn’t find him. They didn’t always in trial together but he usually in trial with Jake every once in 9 or 10 trials but it has been about 30 trials already and no one in campfire ever met him.

Dwight decided told the other survivors about Jake, after that the campfire was unusually quiet. Everyone seems to be in deep thought, even the new survivors who’s not completely understand the situation yet.

Everyone looked like they were holding their rage. They weren’t angry towards Jake but to themselves. All this time they claimed that they already tried to understood the reasons why Jake has become involved with the shape, but it turned out they actually did nothing and they lost him now.

Dwight, Meg and Claudette noticed that Jake changed a lot lately since they knew him for a long time. The survivors tended to form couples so they could overcome with their problems and the cruelty of trials, they had to search for someone to look after each other so they could keep move forward.

Meg and Claudette was the first, they know that they were weak so they had to support each other mentally to keep their sanity, after they passed long time together they fell in love to each other. Human were so unique, their instinct helped them so they could adept in any situation to survive, even if they had to depend on something they usually didn’t.

Meg and Claudette probably won’t become a couple if they were in normal situation, their hobby, favorite music, favorite food, even their taste in clothing were so different but this isolation and circumstances made them put aside that difference and become more understanding to one another. The other were the same, but Jake wasn’t.

Dwight knew that the raven haired man didn’t have a choice but to depend on the shape, Dwight knew better than anyone in the campfire.

“So, I could understand about Jake didn’t want us to know he was tortured. He didn’t want to make us worry. But why didn’t he tell us that … I don’t know how to put it, about the shape. We can at least understand if he was forced to do it with him.” Nea broke the silence with her questions.

“Yeah, I sort of confused about that too actually.” Quentin added, he remembered how flustered Jake was when the raven haired man apologized to him about their trial in red forest. Now that he thought about it, Jake began to change since that trial.

“Hm, I don’t know what in Jake’s mind but if I was the one in his position, I would never tell anyone too.” Everyone face turned to David’s direction now, their face told him they asked ‘why?’ in their head. “What for? It’s not like we could protect him. Our strength can’t win against a killer. And if he just wants to tell us so we can console him, I think he don’t want it. Got killed was … fine I guess, but raped? Personally, I would never tell anyone about that … I would be ashamed.”

“That’s why cases about sexual abuse for male were almost never reported even some of female were refused to reported it too … which is sad because be it happen to male or female, it is still something horrible.” Tapp added as he sighed, he remembered some case he handled in past began with unreported sexual abuse lead it to a murder case.

“But I think Jake’s personality was one of the causes too. I can’t help but notice that every time Jake apologized to us about his lack of participation in trials, he often called himself ‘not useful’ or ‘useless’, at first I don’t think it was something bad but I remembered some of my students have this problem too-” Adam’s face become more serious.

“I agree, that guy always so serious, he never understands my jokes.” As soon as Ace finished talk, he could feel his stomach was elbowed by Bill. “Thanks Bill, please continue Adam.” Kate urged the former teacher to continue, Bill replied her by nodded at her.

“Hm, does anyone know about his past life? Like his relationship with his parents or sibling?” Adam’s question made everyone realized that Jake almost never talked about his past life.

“I think Jake has a good relationship with his big brother, they often played game together and he always compliment his brother too.” Feng remembered Jake talked about how he and his brother played some online game and how nice his brother to him. Feng and Jake actually had same taste in game genre.

“I heard his parents has a high expectation on him so he decided to live by himself in the woods because he couldn't bear the pressure.” Dwight added, it was their conversation from long ago but after that Jake never talked about his past again.

“If he ended up leaving his parent to live alone in the woods, that means he didn’t reach what his parents expected to him, he also has an older brother that he thinks much better than himself. It was probably the source of his low self-esteem.” Adam began to piece the information together.

“I see, he probably grew up without being given the freedom to choose what he wants, while it seems harmless, children that grew up like this easier to be influenced by others, if they meet someone good then they will be good too, the problem is when they meet someone bad then they can copy their bad behaviors too.” Tapp explained further.

“They tend to really thinking about other people opinion about them too because they depended on what everyone around them tell them what to do.” Adam added.

“So his parents were bad parents?” Nea seems to interested, Nancy and Steve were just observing the others most of the time (they tried to understand the situations) but they seem to be more interested now.

“It depends on the reasons. Some cases yes, they wanted their children to archive something they failed to archive in their past but some might be never meant to harm their children. It could be the opposite, they’re too overprotective, they afraid their children would get hurt by society if they didn’t guide them to the right path … it’s just they didn’t do it in the right way.” Adam answered with a sad tone because it’s ironic, but thing like this were actually happened in their previous world.

“That’s why he sees himself as ‘useless’ … and when he always thought that, someone still obsessed at him. I can see now the reason why Jake become depended on Myers’ attentions on him.” As the shape’s former obsession, Laurie knew how the killer stalked his obsession, the way the shape attention was solely for his obsession. Myers look at his obsession as if they were his world.

And then silence filled the campfire again.

“Okay, we sort of figure out what was happened between Jake and Myers. The real question now, what should we do next? Are we … going to be like him too someday? We’re like … going to expire?” Jane asked, it was actually on everyone’s mind. They’re kept thinking that they may be ended up like Jake one day, vanished and would be forgotten.

Another silence.

“M-may I say something?” Dwight tried to break the silence nervously. Everyone looked at Dwight direction now, he could see some of them were already tired, some of them were despaired. “I’m sorry if was telling a bad news to everyone but my intention why I told everyone about Jake is because I want all of you to know that I’m going to search the void, I think Jake is there.”

Everyone’s eyes grew wide. “Are you crazy? Did you even know where is the void!?” Bill accidentally shouted at the leader in shock.

“Well, I still lack some clue but Jake already research it, so it shouldn’t be so hard.” Dwight showed them Jake’s journals. Again, everyone eyes widen in shocked. Tapp and Adam were curious so they read Jake’s journals immediately.

“This is amazing, he really dedicated in searching information.” As a former detective, Tapp amazed by Jake’s skill, the raven haired man wrote down everything in details so his theories were make sense. Jake’s research was a lot. It would take some time to finish read all of it.

“Why you all so surprised? He even the one that wrote down instruction book to repair a generator and sabotaging the hooks for us, it was the result of all his experience and research in repairing generators and sabotage.” Dwight added.

“He seriously worked hard.” Kate read one of Jake’s journals. She never knew Jake was worked this hard to find a way out of this hell while he has to deal with his problems. She gave up about searched a way out of this realm and just concentrated to take care of her own problems. 

“Yeah, that’s why I can be at ease when I busy to teach new survivors knowing he will be the one who continue to investigate this realm.” Everyone has the same feeling as Dwight, they trusted Jake. They used to depend on Jake for a lot of thing such as sabotaging hooks, repairing generators, and healing until they could do it their self.

Why did they forget about it? Why did they doubt him? Why when Jake couldn’t help them because he had to dealing with his own problem made them annoyed? He didn’t even ask for their help.

“I should have realized it sooner, maybe now he still here with us.” The Leader voice was softer now.

“Dwight …” Claudette approach the leader and pat his shoulders as if she said ‘don’t be so hard to yourself’.

“It may be weird for me to say this since we’ve been here for a long time but we find nothing but pain and suffering. I still believe there’s a way we can get out of here. Funny huh?” The leader chuckled but no one dared to laugh at him because they respect him. Actually, everyone secretly hoping they will get out of there someday too even though some of them like to made fun of the idea but in their hearts, they wanted to go back to their own world.

“Then let’s do it together this time, leader!” Meg stood up, fueled with energy, making the others determined too even the sleepy Quentin.

“Huh!?” Now the leader was the one shocked.

“It will be faster if we work together, we always depend on you when it comes to teaching the new survivors but now we should help you with that so you can use your time to continue Jake’s research. We’ll try to search for some clue too.” Claudette smiled at him.

“A-are you sure?” Dwight asked as he looked at everyone face, and everyone nodded at him, even the new survivors.

“Of course we’re, we in here together! Be it stuck in here forever or get out of here, we’ll do it together!” Laurie’s eyes were told the leader her determination.

“Yeah.” Dwight smiled. The leader almost teared up because not only he acknowledged by his friends as their leader but also his friends help him and he could share his burdens to them. He used to be ‘nobody’ in his previous world, now he was ‘a leader’ in this realm.

“Okay, now the heavy stuff is over, let’s save our boy!” Ash sound excited, Ace joined him and give him a thumb up. The leader just laughs at that. They were tried to cheer everyone up with their own way.

The fogs were thickening around them, every survivor except Dwight and Tapp, were summoned to trials.

“I notice that these photos were Ghost face’s, why did you have it?” Tapp’s detective instinct always so sharp.

“Let’s just say someone was losing a bet and owe me a favor.” The leader smiled at the former detective.

“Huh?” When Tapp was about to asked who losing the bet, he was surrounded by fogs and summoned to a trial. Dwight was alone now, it was rare for all survivors to gathered all together like that, the entity must have planned something or was it testing them?

The leader saw a tall shadow in the woods and approached it. “Eavesdropping?” Dwight looked up at the taller man.

“He’s in Haddonfield, the entity gave the boy to the shape instead of send him to the void.” As soon as the trapper finished he turned around, ready to leave.

“The iron that stuck in your back increases again. If you keep helping me like this the entity will continue to torture you …” Dwight inspected the taller man’s back with worried face.

“You really still believe it?” The trapper ignored Dwight’s concern and asked the smaller man instead.

“That there is a way out from here? Of course, the survivor who taught me how to survive in this realm was told me that.” The leader replied with slightly nervous tone.

“Fool … The man you’re talking about was dead a long time ago, a foolish man who believed in something that didn’t exist.” The taller man said it with a sad tone.

“If you think so then it’s fine. I wanted to protect what Evan MacMillan believe in even the man himself already gave up, lose to his own darkness and walk in different path. I want to protect what is believed by the most precious person to me. That’s why I depended on Jake when he diligently collecting the clues.” Dwight smiled as he replied the taller man. The trapper just stared at Dwight.

“In the end, I probably concern about Jake because of I felt bad. I keep supporting him but in my heart, I did it because I want to proof someone else’s theories.” Dwight added while smiled sadly.

“Whatever you think about him, if you this determined to search the void to find him then the boy is precious to you too. It’s not only because you felt bad for him, you care about him as much as he cares about you.” The trapper convinced the smaller man that what Dwight felt was not only guilt.

“Thank you Evan, you always help me.” Dwight smiled brightly to the taller man. The leader felt if he wasn’t already had a crush on Evan, he would have a crush on Jake. Dwight disappeared as the fogs summoned him to a trial.

“The most precious person … I thought I’m done running away, but it seems I was wrong.” The trapper smiled sadly as he said it. He disappeared because he was summoned to a trial too not long after Dwight.

* * *

Laurie was arrived in Haddonfield for a trial, the place where her nightmare was begun. Usually when she was summoned in trials, all she wanted was to survive, even if she became the sole survivor, she even prepared to become an obsession so she could read the killer aura and avoid them.

After their discussion earlier, Laurie’s objections were different now. She wanted to survived together with her teammates and protect them so she brought her flashlight and ready to face the killer.

The blond teen wandered around the neighborhood, reminiscing about her past. How she met her stalker for the first time, how her friends were killed one by one. Sometimes there were times when survivors were not remembered anything about their past lives, it could be really frustrating and affect their emotions. Not knowing about your own self was scary.

When she entered Myers house she saw a lean black figure standing at the corner near the stairs to the basement. _“Is it one of the legion?”_ The blonde teen carefully approached the mysterious figure. “Jake!?” She surprised and happy when she learned that the mysterious figure was her missing friend.

“Thank god you’re safe.” Laurie quickly hugged him in a tight embrace. “…” Jake didn’t respond her. His eyes were empty, blankly stared ahead.

“… come with me Jake, let’s go back together. Everyone’s worried about you.” The blonde teen grabbed at Jake’s wrist and lead him out of the house. Surprisingly the raven haired man followed her but he won’t run so when Laurie pulled Jake’s wrist too hard, he lost his balance and fell.

“Oh my god, I’m sorry Jake.” The blonde teen knelled in front of him to make sure the raven haired man didn’t hurt but Jake didn’t respond anything, the man in front of her was stayed still just like an empty shell.

Laurie heard familiar sound of heavy breathing but instead of attacking the blonde teen, the killer was grabbed Jake’s forearm to helped him stood up. After that Myers put his left hand on Jake’s ass, pick him up and held him with one arm as if Myers protecting Jake from her. The raven haired man rest his head on the crook of Myers’ neck while he sat still in the killer’s arm.

“Michael, I never understand you, even Dr. Loomis too … but it seems even someone like you are able to change.” Laurie knew how the masked man treated the other. He never showed any mercy, regret, grief, happiness, let alone love. Basically he just empty, he won’t respond or listen to other people but since he met Jake, Myers slowly changed.

“…” The killer inspected the raven haired man’s body and when he didn’t find any notable wound so he turned his face back to the blonde teen.

“I decided to change too, that’s why let’s settle this, Michael!” Laurie brought out a piece of glass she found near a broken window earlier and stabbed the left arm that held Jake. When Myers let out a small grunt of pain, one of Jake’s eye twitch a bit. The masked man grip on half-Asian man loosen but still strong enough to keep Jake in his arm.

“Tch!” Laurie’s plan to free Jake was failed so she escaped. The killer pulled out the piece of glass on his arm and chased the blonde teen.

_Clank! Clank! Clank!_

There were sounds of 3 generator done from 3 different directions. _“So this is why Jake can’t be found in campfire or trials with us, the entity didn’t recognize him as survivor anymore. He just a part of this map.”_ Laurie thought as she run and passed a very strange locker, she crouched beside it and hoping she was hidden from the killer.

The strange locker was surrounded by fog and murmured something to her. When Myers was far enough from her, the blonde teen decided to opened the locker. Inside it, one of the hatchet catch her attention, it seems different from the one used by huntress. Laurie’s eyes darken as if she possessed. Without a word she dropped her flashlight, took the hatchet and went to find the killer.

* * *

“Are you sure Steve?” Adam was repairing the 4th generator with Steve in one of a house’s backyard. Steve told the former teacher that he saw a mysterious figure around Myers’ house in his previous trial in Haddonfield with Nancy and Ash.

“Yeah, I’m sure of it. This mysterious figure stared at me from one of second floor window. It didn’t move so I thought it just a mannequin but when I asked Meg about this Jake guy appearance, it match with the figure. At least the color of the jacket and pants.” Steve explained as he kept repairing the generator.

“After we finish this generator I’ll go check on Myers’ house, how about you?” Adam just have to connect some wires left when he asked Steve.

“I’ll come with you.” Steve finished his part and after a few minutes the generator made a loud noise that notified the whole neighborhood. Adam and Steve were crouched quietly and headed to Myers’ house until the former teacher suddenly stopped and Steve crashed into Adam's back.

“Ah! Give me some warning if you want to stop.” Steve complained as he rubbed on his nose. “Ssh …” Adam turned his face to the boy and quietly pointed in front of him. There were two figure in front of them, a killer and the other one was the mysterious figure Steve saw in his previous trial in Haddonfield.

“It’s him.” Steve whispered at Adam and the former teacher replied it with a nod. They continued to observe Myers and Jake from their hiding spot. It looks like Myers was examine something in Jake’s mouth while Jake just stood still and let the taller man put his thumb and fore finger on his tongue.

Slowly a shadow approached the killer’s back. Jake probably saw it but he didn’t react on it. Adam recognized the blonde hair, blue shirts and dark blue pants, it was Laurie but something felt different. There were thin fogs surrounding Laurie. _“Something was off but I guess it’s just my imaginations, Steve didn’t notice anything.”_ Adam thought as he tried to get into the killer’s terror radius.

The former teacher’s plan was to distract the killer’s attention with pebbles so he and Steve could take Jake, he knew Laurie brought flashlight so she probably would help them and blind Myers. Laurie may not understand his plan but he had no choices, they couldn’t communicate freely in a trial so he continued his plan.

Adam now inside the killer’s terror radius, he stopped in front of the killer with only the tall fence protected him from being found by Myers. Laurie slowly approached the killer from behind too. Myers noticed it and began to inspect his surroundings while he put his left hand on Jake’s right shoulder to brought Jake closer to him.

After the former teacher told Steve about the plan, he threw the pebbles into the window of the house to his left, it passed the window so Myers would think a survivor in that house. The killer gripped his knife tighter and approached the window slowly as he leads Jake to follow him.

In a split second, Adam snatched one of Jake’s wrist and it rewarded him a nice, long cut on his chest. When Myers examined his bloody knife, Adam took advantage of it to pushed Jake to Steve. Steve put Jake’s right arm to his shoulder so he could help Jake to run away from the killer.

“Laurie, please blind him!” Adam shouted as he turned around and run behind Steve and Jake but to his surprise, Laurie didn’t blind Myers with flashlight but attacked him with a hatchet. Myers quickly dodged Laurie’s attack, he stopped chasing Adam but he succeeds land a strong hit to Adam’s back before he turned around to face Laurie.

“Oh my god! How can she use a weapon!?” Steve stopped too when he saw Adam crawled behind him. Steve lead Jake so he stood beside the gate as he watched the intense battle. They were in front of the gate while Laurie and Myers now fighting in the park.

“I don’t know, I can see a thin fog around her, maybe the entity did something to her.” Adam stopped crawling when Steve began to treat his wounds. It was never happened before. Some survivors had try to take the hatchets but no one ever succeed, so why Laurie could?

Adam observed the battle as he was healed by Steve. Laurie’s movements were slow, it’s obvious that she didn’t accustomed to use weapon. she tried to aim her attack to Myers’ heart but the killer easily dodged it. Myers land a few cut on Laurie, it seems the cuts weren’t deep because the blonde teen was agile and good at dodging Myers’ attacks too. They continued to exchange blows.

_Clank!_

The 5th generator was fixed and the gate was powered. “Jake!!” Quentin came out from one of the house and run towards the gate, he shouted from far away and he hugged Jake immediately as soon as he arrived but Jake was still didn’t respond.

The clash between Laurie and Myers still continued. Laurie aimed her next attack to Myers’ neck but the killer caught her hatchet’s handle and snapped it. The sharp steel part of Laurie’s weapon dropped to the ground but it didn’t stopped Laurie from attacking Myers.

Laurie used the remaining wooden handle to smacked Myers’ face. It seems losing the heaviest part of her weapon added some speed in Laurie’s movements. Laurie’s attack made the killer grunted. Quentin was astonished by Laurie and he focused on watching her until he could felt Jake’s body twitched a bit in his embrace. “Jake?” Quentin looked at Jake’s eyes, they were not as lifeless as before but Jake still passive.

“Open the gate Quentin!” Adam still being healed by Steve so he had to depended on Quentin. The tired looking teen nodded, he gave Steve the med kit he found in a chest and began to open the gate while his other hand still gripped on Jake wrist to secure him.

_Crash!_

The loud noise came from Laurie’s body crashed against one of bench in the park, it seems Myers tossed her body to it, the killer become more aggressive now. Adam could hear Laurie’s scream in pain but he missed to notice Jake’s soft gasp. Myers waited for a few minutes but Laurie still on the ground this made the killer’s attention now directed at the other survivors.

“HURRY!!” Adam shouted at Quentin in panic, his brain couldn’t process all the information anymore. He was so confused because Laurie’s strange behavior. As soon as Steve finished heal Adam’s wound, he run to the killer. The former teacher hoped he could keep the killer busy while Steve went to get Laurie.

“…op” There was a faint noise from Jake direction but Quentin was busy with the gate to noticed it. After a few minutes the gate was opened, a few minutes felt like hours.

Adam tried distract Myers by running in circle in front of the killer but it seems Myers didn’t interest on Adam so Myers waited for right timing and downed Adam in one hit. The killer tried to approached the gate where Quentin and Jake were.

“Jake is our precious friend. We’ll take him back with us!” Quentin yelled at the killer, he actually scared of Myers, his body trembled in fear. Jake’s eyes widen when he heard Quentin’s word, his face slowly directed to the park.

“Quentin, take Jake and run!” Adam shouted at Quentin and grabbed on one of Myers leg to slow him down, this made Myers stopped for a while to kicked the former teacher’s hand.

It happened so fast, what Adam saw after he kicked was unbelievable. Laurie hit Myers’ back with the wooden handle in her left hand, it made the killer turned around to face her as he swung his knife. At the same time Laurie swung the blade part of her hatchet with her right hand to the killer.

“AAAAH!” a loud scream could be heard, it was Jake’s. no one noticed he had move from Quentin’s side, he was stood between Laurie and Myers. Jake’s left shoulder stabbed by Myers’ knife and his right arm was slashed by Laurie’s weapon. It seems Jake tried to protected both Myers and Laurie, even the other survivors so he sacrificed himself.

“J-JAKE!!” Laurie’s eyes widen and brighten. it seems to snapped back to her former self and caught Jake when he was about to fall. “Stop it … please.” Jake whispered something but it was too weak for Laurie to hear and fell unconscious.

Laurie tried to support Jake but Jake was too heavy for her. From behind her, Steve helped them. Steve put Jake’s left arm to his shoulder when he tried to help Laurie too, she refused. “I’ll keep Michael busy, take Jake and leave!”

“But-“ Steve tried to argue but Laurie didn’t let him. “DO AS I SAY!” Laurie shouted and it made Steve run as fast as he could to the gate with Jake.

Laurie stood in front of Myers, she and the killer stared at each other. Myers just stood there ever since he accidentally stabbed Jake. When the blonde teen saw the killers body, he was restraint by thin tendrils of fogs. Myers hands clenched hard, it seems the killer was tried to break free from the fogs but failed.

The situation was really chaotic, the countdown almost over. When Laurie knew the killer couldn’t move, she run passed him and helped Quentin healed Adam and run to the gate. Myers could only watch the survivors escaped by glance over his shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading my work, at this point there are a lot of characters involved, I tried to write them less out of character as possible.
> 
> I finally write down Laurie's famous line 'Do as I say'. I really like how brave Laurie in Halloween 2018
> 
> Like in Halloween 2018, in the end there are some connection between Myers and Laurie even though they're not siblings. in this story Laurie and Myers slowly changed because of same person, Jake (the difference are for Laurie, Jake is like her older brother while Myers slowly thought Jake was more than an object of obsession)


	3. Saboteur

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rainbow usually appear after rain or storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for stopping by. As always, thank you for all kudos and comments in previous chapter. it really motivate me to keep writing, please enjoy the story~
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any characters in this story

_Some humans are simply bad seeds. Seeds infused with a distilled and pure form of evil. Michael Myers is one of those seeds. He had no issues with causing the pain of others. Instead, it was exactly what he sought. But even life can be tough on those with minds filled with terror. The difference is just how one goes about to solve those problems. For Michael, he had to kill to find some inner peace. As he took his sister’s life, the police found a silent boy dressed as a clown at the scene. When one stumbles upon a growing fire, one does not pour gasoline on it. But this was an action taken by officials that had no idea how it would shape this demon in the boy's body. Sending Michael to a mental institution was a feeble attempt to save the child. Unsuccessful therapy and nightly screams just made him even more introverted and deranged. People hoped that Michael Myers would end up a parenthesis, soon to be forgotten and buried, a failure that soon were to rot away. But then...he escaped. – Michael Myers’ lore –_

* * *

“ _My head … why am I so dizzy?_ ” Jake felt like his head really hurt. “ _Oh right, I got into a fight with Michael and passed out._ ”

“…ke!”

_“What’s that noise?”_ His memories were so hazy but he remembered hearing Michael’s grunts and he also remembered hearing Quentin yelled and Laurie screamed.

“Jake!”

_“Did someone call me?”_ Jake opened his eyes, it was blurred at first but slowly he could see Dwight’s relived face. Jake felt like he was slept for a long time, he tried to get up but his body still so tired and heavy.

“Are you alright, Jake?” Dwight asked Jake as he help the raven haired man to sit. Jake could see all his friends were gathering around him, some of them looks like they were about to cry. Laurie sat not far behind him with Kate and Claudette, Kate stroking Laurie’s back while Claudette gave her something.

“Ja-“ Dwight seems wanted to talk to Jake but the fog thickens around him, the Leader was summoned to a trial along with Nea, Steve, Nancy and Ash. When the fogs were gone, the 5 of them gone too. They were teleported to the trial ground. 

“Jake! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Meg was so relieved she even couldn’t think of saying anything other than ‘sorry’ as she hugged Jake from behind him. Jake gasped at Meg’s sudden actions.

“I thought I will never see you again.” The braid haired girl began to cried after she held Jake for some times.

“Meg, Everyone I … I’m sorry for disappearing so suddenly …” Jake never thought his friends were worried about him. He thought everyone already accepted the fact someday they would disappear one by one, like the fact that they were trapped in this realm. A fact that they couldn’t do anything other than to accepted it.

“Yes! you have to be sorry, don’t ever do that again!” Feng slapped Jake hard enough to leave a red mark on Jake’s left cheek. She joined Meg to hug Jake, the raven haired man just smiled. He made his friends cried, worried and sad but it made him happy. He was slapped but he was elated because he knew now that they were treasured him more than he thought.

“It must be nice to have ladies in each arm, Jake.” Ace teased the half-Asian man only to be teased back by others. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous, Ace.” David patted on Ace shoulder. Everyone ended up laughing and giggling.

Some of them now just focused talking on other things too. Perhaps Ace wanted to make Jake comfortable by treating him same as before he was missing and not treat him like he was made of glass. Honestly, he felt relieved.

“Here, drink this. It’ll warm your body.” Claudette handed him a cup of warm tea. He remembered he made this cup with some clay they found beside a river around the campfire, he even glazed it with wood and ash (from plants).

Even though there were no other animals around campfire except crows, the number of vegetation here was a lot. Claudette was surprised when the first time they explore the woods even in the greenhouses of the large drug institutions where she used to work did not have as many variants of medicinal plants as here. Not only for medical use, there were a lot of edible plants too.

“I’m glad you’re safe, Jake. You won’t wake up for a few trials after Adam and the others brought you back so we’re worried. We’re glad that our saboteur is back.” Claudette smiled at him and stroked his hair, it warmed Jake’s heart. _“Their saboteur …”_ Jake replied those word again and again in his mind, it made him really happy when he heard that.

“Ahem, Meg. I know you relived that Jake is back but I’m a bit jealous here if you hug him this long.” Claudette chuckled as she told her partner. Meg giggled and released her tight embrace now, it followed by Feng too.

Jake sipped his tea. _“Is tea always taste this good?”_ Jake wondered as he looked inside his cup, he didn’t see any difference from the one he had. _“No, it’s the same. Maybe it became more delicious because I start to enjoy my life.”_ He smiled and gulped down the rest of his tea.

Jake chatted with his friends for some time, it was odd thing he ever did. Usually, he only last a few minutes in crowd and always uncomfortable in it. He always scared if his friend knew him better, they would see his weakness and disappointed at him. But he felt he has changed, he didn’t afraid anymore and he enjoyed his time with his friends more. He wanted to know them more.

They continued to chatted until some of them were summoned to a trial one by one. There were just him, Kate and Laurie now. Kate approached and whispered at him. “I know you still recovering but Laurie looks so down lately. When I asked her what happened, she won’t talk about what’s bothering her, please watch over her for a moment. I have to go to a trial.”

“Okay, don’t worry. I won’t let something bad happen to her.” Jake smiled at her and Kate smiled back to him. After a minute the fog thicken around Kate and it teleported Kate to trial ground.

Jake realized it was just him and Laurie, He could hear Laurie’s footsteps approached him from behind. “Hi, Quentin told me you saved me, thank you Laurie.” He turned his head to look at Laurie, she seems to be have a lot of thought. The blonde teen sat beside him and stared at her tea.

“Laurie?” Jake tried to gain her attention. “Uh … yeah.” Laurie replied without even glanced at the raven haired man. There was a silence, after a few minutes Laurie turned her head to Jake’s direction, she looked serious.

“Jake, I don't know who I have to tell ... I'm afraid, Adam continues to look at me with a worried look, Steve and Quentin look a little afraid of me. I don't understand what's happening.” Laurie talked so quickly, almost difficult to understood her words.

“Laurie, calm down. It’s okay, I’m here.” The half-Asian man patted her shoulder as he replied her. Laurie took a deep breath and put down her tea, she changed her seat so she could be closer to Jake as if she seeks more comfort. Jake smiled and his hand now stroked her back.

“In our last trial together, I found you in Michael’s house. We searched for you everywhere. I’m so happy that I found you there but when I saw Michael, I … lost it.” Laurie began to tremble, one of Jake’s hand held the blonde teen’s hands to calm her down a bit.

“I could feel my anger was rising. I hate him, and I hate him more after I saw he held you in his arm, you become passive and emotionless. All I could think about is he would take away my friend from me again.” Laurie stopped a few second so she could take a breath before she continued.

“I stabbed him but I failed to free you, that time my rage was peaked. When I went outside … I could hear it. The fogs were gathering around me, whispered to me. It said that I should take out my rage to him. The one who ruined my life.” When Laurie stopped again, Jake just waited her quietly.

“My vision was all red, I couldn’t identify any other colors. I remembered I took a hatchet before my mind gone hazy, all I could hear was the fog’s voices murmuring in my ears. I couldn’t remember anything after that until I heard your voice, scream in pain. I saw you bleeding because of me, it struck me like a lightning.” Laurie’s tears began to rolled down, she held Jake’s hand tightly.

“Can you still hear the voices now?” Jake asked her with a soft tone, he hoped it could soothe her.

“No, after I come back to my senses I can’t hear it anymore. The thing that make me scared is not the fact the fogs whispered at me or I could wield a weapon.” Laurie now stared at Jake’s eyes.

“What are you afraid of then?” Jake become nervous too because of Laurie’s confessions.

“The voice I hear was …”

* * *

“What are you doing here?” Dwight could hear the trapper spoke to him. The trial would end soon, once again the leader had to lead new survivors who just arrived in this realm. This time they had a trial in Macmillan estate.

“U-um … waiting you?” Dwight smiled nervously at the taller man. They were standing in front of the gate, it still closed because they could only finish two generators. The hatch was not far from there, opened. “Y-you always mad at me if I visit you outside of trial so I don’t have any choice.” The survivor’s leader added.

“Usually you just visit me anyway, so what’s your business with me?” The trapper sighed as he closes the distance between them.

“First, you always merciless towards new survivors, look what you done! You killed them all. Yui, Zarina and Cheryl were still new to this realm.” Dwight didn’t show his anger but the taller man could hear the smaller man annoyed tone.

“I was kind enough to show them how cruel this realm is so they can prepare better next time.” The trapper smirked. Dwight could see a glimpse of it from behind his mask.

“Always taking care of others like always” Dwight now switched from being annoyed to sad. There was silence for a minute until the leader continued. “Hey, back then when I was just a new survivor too you took care of me a lot, I always respect you. That’s why I can’t understand why a kind and brave man become a killer. Now that I took your place as survivor’s leader, I understand the pressure.”

“I already said it before, the man you respect are dead. I’m not him.” Trapper averted his gaze from the smaller man as he said it.

“My grandfather used to say ‘the more precious the burden, it’s heavier and more difficult to shoulder’.” Dwight remembered what his grandfather said to him in the past. He didn’t understand back then, actually he just understood when he and his friends discussed about what happened to Jake.

The taller man didn’t reply anything so Dwight continued. “When you were a survivor back then, you tried with all you have to convinced everyone that there’s a way out of here and lead them. Every new survivor you told that were relieved including me but one day their frustration peaked and blamed you for all their suffering. They told you a liar even when they knew you tried so hard to collected a lot of information about this realm.” Dwight’s eyes filled with tears as he remembered about it.

“That day my patience was at the limits too so that happened, the tragedy.” Trapper still won’t look at Dwight direction as if he regretted of what he did.

“I can’t do anything. Not because I’m a new survivor but because I’m a coward. If only I stood beside you that time …” Dwight wiped his tears before it rolled down his cheeks.

“No, it was inevitable. That time I started to doubt myself too so I lost it.” The taller man was regaining his courage to looked at smaller man’s direction. Now, it was Dwight’s turn to fell into silence.

“When they said I’m a liar, I felt betrayed. The fogs started to whispering at me, it said that I should release my rage and I did.” The trapper continued to told Dwight what happened to him.

“It was on trial ground. I just hide in a locker when it happened, trembling in fear. You even could choke the killer that time and killed the other two survivors. After you killed them in that trial, I never met them again even the killer, I even forget about their names or faces.” Dwight kept reminiscing what happened too from his perspective.

The trapper nodded at Dwight and lowered his gaze to his feet. “All I can see was red, I couldn’t identify any other colors. But your voice brought me back to reality.”

“On my knees, I begged you that time, hoped to be spared because I’m a coward.” With a bitter smile on his face, Dwight replied the trapper.

“But you’re different now, you become a better leader for them than me for you.” For once, the trapper praised Dwight, it made the leader blushed a little.

“I’m just copying you how to lead people and how to prove myself. All I could do back then was reading my teammates aura to seek their help.” Dwight known as a leader to his friends now but before he actually just imitating his own leader, Evan MacMillan.

“But I’m still a weak man as I’m back then that’s why my friends had to shoulder some of my burdens. They accept me even as a cowardly leader. That’s why I know my error back then.” Dwight smiled sheepishly as he continued talking.

“…” the trapper just stared at the smaller man. There was more silence before Dwight started to talk again. “Evan, please let me shoulder some of your burden too. I … you’re not alone.” The usually nervous leader was stronger now, the taller man could see Dwight determined eyes. It seems his friends changed him a lot.

“Do you know why I decided to be a killer even when I snapped out after I released my rage?” The trapper asked him and Dwight just shook his head.

“The voice I heard … is my own voice. That’s why I’m scared, I thought if I become a killer nothing can hunt me but I was wrong. The thing that hunting us is always within ourselves, our own darkness.” Dwight’s eyes widen in surprise when he heard the other man’s confession. The trapper used this opportunity to took another few steps so Dwight trapped between the taller man and the brick wall beside the closed gate.

“You’re trembling Dwight. What a lovely sight.” The trapper unnerving presence always made survivors trembled in fear but Dwight could tell his body was trembling because other reason too.

“H-huh!?” Dwight looked up only to see the trapper smirked at him, it made him blush. He didn't expected trapper would say something like that abruptly. the smaller man could tell that the taller man was amused by his reactions.

The trapper gripped on Dwight’s chin so the smaller man couldn’t avert his gaze so they could stare at each other’s eyes a bit longer. The taller man really amused to see Dwight panicked and flustered face. The trapper lowered his face so their face just a few inches apart.

Dwight decided to close his eyes because he was embarrassed and put his hands on the taller man’s chest. “W-wait!! Eep-” Dwight let out a strange noise when he felt his body was lifted and carried by the trapper in his shoulder.

“Now time to go home, your friends will worry. Tell the boy to finish his business with the shape. That bastard always in a bad mood after his obsession snatched from him and lose interest on participating in trials.” The trapper carried the smaller man until they reached the hatch.

“I’ll tell him, I’ll tell him, but p-please put me down!” Dwight begged him as he struggled to get loose from the taller man’s grasp.

“Okay.” The trapper threw him right at the hatch so Dwight was pulled into the fogs and slowly disappeared.

“I see … that’s why you so obsess with the boy, Myers. I guess we’re the same, we searched for our lost humanity. We refused to acknowledge that we were become a monster so we keep on searching for someone who see us as a human and when we found them, we won’t let them go.” The trapper smiled sadly as he watched the hatch until Dwight fully disappear.

* * *

“You hear it in your own voice!?” Jake was surprised by what Laurie have told him. The blonde teen just nodded to answered Jake’s question.

_“The entity … maybe it’s true self are less foreign than we thought.”_ Jake thought a possibility of entity’s true form.

“So that’s was the fog’s voice …” a short blonde girl approached them, followed by two other girls. “Sorry for interrupting so suddenly. My name is Cheryl Mason, nice to meet you.” Cheryl introduced herself. It seems the three of them were new survivors.

“You can hear it too?” Laurie seems relieved, she probably just happy to found that she was not the only one that experienced it.

“Yeah, at first I thought it was the voice of someone I thought I never hear again but when I try to listen it carefully, it is my voice.” Cheryl said as she sat in front of Laurie and Jake, followed by the other girls.

After that, Yui and Zarina introduced themselves but they decided to just keep quiet and listening at Cheryl, Laurie and Jake. To Jake surprise, Cheryl already experienced in terror situation like this. She had freed herself from the religious cult that pursued her since birth. Jake remembered he found a document mention a world where a cult that worship the entity existed. Jake suspected it was Vigo's original world.

Laurie and Cheryl continued talking about the voices they heard. It seems because of her past experience, Cheryl could make the entity help her and used it to her advantages. Laurie asked her to teach her how to do it and Cheryl agreed to help her. Jake relieved now because Laurie was not scared anymore.

The girls were so easy to get along well. After some time, they began to talked about their life in their original world so Jake just listened to them this time. When Jake saw Dwight in woods (he just back from his trial), Jake said good bye to the girls and approach Dwight.

“Dwight, before you summoned to a trial, did you want to talk to me about something?” Jake asked the leader as soon as he was a few feet away in front of Dwight but the other man seems dazed. “Um, Dwight?” The raven haired man waved his hand in front of Dwight’s face but the leader’s mind still somewhere so Jake decided to pat the other man’s shoulder.

“Ah!!” Dwight surprised and it surprised Jake too. “I-I’m sorry, it’s just … um, what did you say?” Dwight’s mind definitely still elsewhere.

“Um … before you went to the trial.” The half-Asian man tried to remind the other man.

“Oh, I was going to say that I’m glad you back. You’re our saboteur so don’t forget that. Don’t leave us, okay?” Dwight’s gaze was fixed at Jake’s. It symbolizes the leader’s sincerity when he was said every word to Jake and the raven haired man replied him with a smile as he nodded.

“The trapper said that Myers in a constant bad mood after you left him so please talk to him. It seems shape bothering trapper. He probably knew that trapper talked to me sometimes.” Dwight whispered at Jake.

“Huh? I always left him after a trial, why do he has to be in bad mood?” Jake shocked, he even didn't realize Dwight just accidentally told him a secret about his relation with trapper. Jake’s responds made the leader confused.

“Jake, did you know that you have been missing for about 30 trials before Adam, Quentin, Steve and Laurie brought you back?” Dwight become more serious now.

“30!? I-I thought I just missing for about 1 or 2 trials …” Sometimes a survivor would get some free time after a really harsh trial so Jake thought he just missing a trial or two after his trial with the pig.

“In those 30 trials, it seems you were with Myers. Do you recall anything?” The leader added.

“No, but I do visit him after my trial with the pig. I got into a fight with him so I thought I summoned to a trial with him after I passed out there.” Jake started to scratched the back of his neck as he tried to remember anything after he passed out in Michael’s house. He just realized too that there were 5 survivors instead of 4 in his last trial with Michael.

“You got into a fight with him!?” this time Dwight was the one who shocked.

“Yeah, but I lost a lot of blood and … died I think.” Jake found a large stone and sat on it as he talked to Dwight.

“So even when we died outside of the trial, we still revived.” Dwight followed Jake and sat beside the saboteur. _“So Evan lied to me. He told me to not visit him because he can accidentally kill me and I’ll be gone for good.”_ The leader pouted as he remembered the lie that trapper told him.

“Dwight, do you ever wondering what exactly the entity is?” Jake said it as he held out his hand and some crows landed on his hand.

“The trapper did tell me something about he become killer after he heard the fog whispered at him using his voice but he become a killer because he chose it. He said the thing that haunt him always within himself.” Dwight tried to copied what Jake was doing but only one crow landed on his hand.

“So he used to be a survivor like us!? Laurie said she could hear the fogs and the new girl too. So they can …” The raven haired man raised his voice accidentally. His eyes widen as he turned his head to the leader. Some of the crows startled by it and leave Jake.

“I think if they don’t want it then they would never become a killer. That’s why the entity, we may can’t fully understand it before we find some more clue but I think it still related to our emotions.” Dwight adjusted his glasses as he replied.

“Do you think we had some sort of similarity?” The saboteur asked Dwight with more serious tone.

“The survivors?” The leader replied him with another question.

“I think both survivors and killers. There must be some connections …” Jake answered. There was silence between them as both of them tried to figure it out.

“Maybe the next time all survivors are gather we can discuss about it together.” Dwight said it as he watched the crow in his lap fly away.

“Yeah.” Jake replied him. For some reason, the saboteur’s gaze was fixed to look deeper into the woods as if he searched for something or someone.

“Jake, are you afraid that we will angry if you still communicate with Myers?” Dwight asked the half-Asian man and Jake lowered his gaze to his lap and fell silent.

“We won’t angry, but when things become too hard for you please tell us. I know you’re not a talkative type but just tell us, okay? Even just one of us is enough. You’ve been protecting us all this time, we want do the same for you.” The leader added before stood up.

Jake turned his head to the leader’s direction, he was surprised by Dwight’s words. He blushed a little and nodded.

“I’ll go to the campfire, see you later Jake.” Dwight walked towards the campfire and joined the girls. He sat around the campfire, Jake wanted to join too but first he wanted to brought some of documents and old tapes he stored in his usual place in the woods. His conversation earlier with Cheryl gave him some ideas.

When he arrived at his usual place, he saw a familiar shape in the woods. _“Is he waiting for me?”_ the raven haired man stared at the older man. He should be satisfied that he got along well with his friends.

They acknowledged his hard works all this time and they even told him that they care about him but his body still slowly approached the familiar shape. His heart beat faster as he got near to the other man.

It was so strange, he could be rejected and got hurt again but his feet still brought him to the masked man. His body trembled slightly, he couldn’t deny that he afraid to be rejected by Michael again.

“Michael ...” Jake passed the barrier so Michael could touch him. The masked man slowly caresses the saboteur’s cheek and lips before Michael slide his thumb to opened Jake’s mouth. Jake understand Michael’s intention.

“I’m okay, my tongue was healed perfectly.” It was difficult for Jake to speak when his tongue was between Michael’s thumb and forefinger but Michael seems to understand what Jake was saying.

The half-Asian man pulled the masked man’s hand from his mouth and held it with both of his hands before he asked. “Do you have time to listen to me?” For the first time since Jake met Michael, the older man nodded to communicate with Jake.

“Thank you.” Jake smiled as he kept his gaze at Michael’s.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you anything about the reasons for my actions, I despaired and I thought there were no reasons for me to go on anymore … but I’m not sorry that I attacked you for that kiss, you often hurt me too and have your way with me.” Jake chuckled, he was quite proud that he could made Michael fell down. Michael just tilted his head.

“But that’s not entirely your fault, I let you have your way with me … from the beginning until the end I just think about myself.” Jake lowered his gaze in shame, He thought the killers were just the entity’s tools but it turned out many of them were same as the survivors, they were all trapped in this realm.

“To be honest, all my live I always think about how to get acknowledge by others or how to become useful, etcetera. But when I thought I was going to be tossed to the void by entity, I realized I just want to live a simple life with peoples that precious to me … especially you. I want to have more time to spend it with you.” Jake told Michael as he started to caress the older man’s hand with his own.

“Michael, thank you for being born and find me here. I … I love you.” Jake gathered his courage to confess his feelings. He still scared of rejection but he remembered his friend were supporting him so he had to be strong.

When Jake looked up to see Michael’s reaction. He could see a glimpse of Michael’s widen eyes. The older man brought Jake’s hands up to touch his mask.

“Is it okay?” Jake was so happy Michael let him touch his mask now but he asked to be sure and Michael nodded.

Jake was blushed when he slowly rolled up Michael’s mask, he nervous to see the other man’s face. When the mask was up to Michael’s nose, the older man gripped the younger man’s wrist. Michael just stared at Jake.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to open it all the way.” The saboteur smiled and caress Michael’s jaw. Jake could see some long blonde hair.

Michael’s hand was at the back of Jake’s neck and lowered his own face to kissed Jake. Jake was a bit startled by this, especially when Michael’s tongue entered his mouth. Jake couldn’t hold his moan, Jake just realized that he like kisses.

Jake’s face reddens, the saboteur pulled back his face so he could catch some breath before Michael kissed him again more passionately.

The kiss become more intense so Jake pulled back again and this time Michael began shift his attention to Jake’s neck. Michael licked and sucked on Jake’s neck and it made the younger man let out soft moans.

When Michael finished marking all over Jake’s neck by sucking and biting it, the fogs started to gather around Michael. It seems Michael summoned to a trial, Jake could feel that the older man was annoyed from being interrupted but he had no choice. Michael already evaded being in a trial for some times and no other killer around him that he could shove into the fog to replaced him.

Michael quickly brought out something from his pocket and placed it to one of Jake’s palm. It was a key with Strode realtor tag.

“Oh, okay. I’ll visit you later. Good luck with the trial.” Jake surely would treasure the key, it made him so happy because he received something from Michael for the first time. Michael nodded, he gave Jake a quick peck on his lips before he pulled down his mask back and disappeared with the fog.

* * *

“AGH! Please don’t let me see that screwdriver!” Jeff accidentally shouted at Jake. Jake took a screwdriver from Ace, he exchanged a coin with screwdriver since Ace loves coin and Jake need a new screwdriver. Jake and Ace just stared at Jeff, confused.

“Sorry, I just … it’s the shape, he uses screwdriver to killed me in my previous trial so it took me by surprise to see a screwdriver again this fast.” Jeff apologized to his friends from being overacting but he still a bit traumatized by screwdriver now.

Jake turned his face to another direction to prevent his friends to see he blushed, he had this mixed feeling now. He was happy to know Michael kept and used his screwdriver but also sad because it used to kill his friends (and himself) from now on.

Feng suddenly approached him and stared at his face. “What is it Feng?” Jake asked. “I just notice that your eyes were blue.” Feng still looked at his eyes.

“Oh, yeah. It’s dark blue so sometimes it looks like black particularly if I’m in dark places.” Jake smiled as he replied.

“Let me see.” Nea suddenly turned on her flashlight and directed it to Jake’s eyes.

“My eyes!” Jake closed his eyes. His eyes hurt, he understood now why a flashlight could become a lethal weapon against the killers.

“Oops, my bad~” Nea laugh as she ran away.

“Hey!” Jake yelled at Nea but the Swedish girl already gone so he just laugh with everyone in campfire. Jake never knew that he could still be happy even in a messed up realm like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know I set this part to be 3 chapters but I just realized that I write the third chapter as a conclusion of Jake’s relationship with Michael and his research about the entity. I decide to split it into two chapter so it easier for me to write. The fourth chapter actually already finished but I still need some time to double check it, I’ll probably post it tomorrow (or the day after tomorrow). 
> 
> I actually really sad when I read Myers’ lore, the part where people tried to hide him and forget about him because they couldn’t figure it out how to deal with him (well, he does kill a lot of people so it’s only natural that he was feared by others).
> 
> In the end, both Jake and Michael are searching for something and they both find it now.


	4. Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every color created to be different one and another to make the world more beautiful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for stopping by. As always, thank you for all kudos and comments in previous chapter. it really motivate me to keep writing, please enjoy the story~
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any characters in this story
> 
> Warning: I didn't describe the void in detail but I describe it as disgusting place so if you easily triggered by something like this, don't eat while read this chapter

_I have discovered structures within the realms of The Entity that remind me of home. It is possible others from Terra Primus have found themselves marooned within The Entity. These Survivors could have with them knowledge to free me from this tower and possibly ideas on how to escape this infernal dimension. As far as I know... we were one of the first of the many worlds to begin unraveling these great cosmic mysteries and proving that planets and solar systems were... well... alive. These discoveries led to entire paradigm shifts that unlocked for us our ability to travel from dimension to dimension. Where once we thought our knowledge was absolute... these discoveries showed us how little we actually knew about the world. – Arcus 182 –_

* * *

After Jake’s recovered, the tension in entity’s realm changed. Inspired by Michael and Jake, a lot of survivors began to interested in killers, some killers become more interested in survivors too and they sometimes hanging around together.

Lately, the survivors and killers only become enemy when they were in trials, both survivors and killers treated trials like a simple sport matches. It became an unspoken rule that any friendly interactions between killers and survivors forbidden inside trials so Michael and Jake had to do their business outside of trials now.

The saboteur could focus in finishing his objectives when he was in trials so he didn’t cause much trouble for his friends anymore. Dwight chatted a lot with Jake too now, Jake usually just listen. The leader talked about Evan a lot, that’s why he knew the trapper helped him and Michael a lot. Jake felt really grateful and in return, he wanted to help Evan too.

Evan was the type who denied his feeling like him too so Jake could give one or two useful advice to Dwight. If someone who lack understanding of emotions like Michael could win Jake’s heart, Dwight could do it too.

The other thing that occurred to Jake to repay Evan's kindness was to speed up his search for finding a way out of this realm. Some of killers other than trapper like the wraith, pig and deathslinger interested in helping survivors collecting some documents too.

Some killers such as Huntress, Hillbilly and Leather face helped when they in mood to be friendly with survivors and some were just doing whatever they wanted in their free time between trials (at least they never disturb). For some reason, Jake never tortured again by other killers, maybe because they shifted their interest from him to other survivor or … Jake felt Michael knew about this but it was useless to asked Michael and Jake was not interested in finding out. Everything return to usual state around Jake so he was very grateful for that.

Ever since all survivors participating in collecting old tapes, documents or other clues about this realm (they often found some clothes too), the mysteries about the realms become more complicated.

One thing they certain, this realm was made based on people’s memories (both survivors and killer) because the more they ventured to areas outside of the campfire the more place they found. Some places were never used in trials such as Meg’s village, Dwight’s office, and Jake’s family house. Apparently, Jake lived in more recent era than the others so everyone found Jake’s house were nice and full of recent technologies, they often visited just to rest in comfortable rooms (or beds).

Thankfully those places from their memories never included people in it so they could do whatever they wanted such as cooking in someone’s kitchen or used some ingredients from a supermarket. David really happy he could eat beef steak now, survivors used to only eat edible plants around the campfire. The girls even brought back fancy clothes from some shops (and Jake secretly brought back some black brief for Michael).

When Jake was ventured to more dangerous area (accompanied by Michael of course), they found a tower but there was a cliff that separating them to the tower. It seems someone live there, and Jake often tried to contact the other person but failed.

At least the other person seems to know that he was tried to reach them because for some reason there were times that Jake found some tome around that area, it contains memories of some killers and survivors.

In one of 3 tomes he found so far, it mentioned that the one who live in that tower could see people memories trough the fogs. It mentioned too that someone (they suspect it was Vigo) had escaped the void with some help from a serum made of flower nectar.

The survivors tried to find the void, suspecting a large part of the entity was there. They found some research in the Hawkins laboratory indicating that they made some kind of device to travel to another dimension. Feng said she could alter it to a device to travel between realm and sub-realm.

It was one of rare moments where everyone was gathered together. They were chatted around the campfire when Dwight was just coming back from a trial. “It seems everyone here now, why don’t we discuss about what we found so far?” Dwight approached his friends and found 3 of them were in low spirit.

“Kate, what happened to them?” The leader whispered to the country girl that sat beside him.

“The hag killed David by eating his brain while said if he didn’t use it well then she gladly took it. The Hag angry with him when he tried to unhook me right in front of her while he hasn’t learned ‘borrowed time’.” Kate explained to Dwight in whisper.

“And what happened to Nea?” Dwight asked Kate again.

“The huntress scolded her because she used a dull key too early so it closed before Yui, the fourth survivor could escape. Yui was late because she was looping the huntress.” Kate chuckled a bit because Yui told her in the end, the huntress let Yui escaped so she could have a fair match.

“So even Nea can feel down from guilty too.” Dwight chuckled too before his arm was slapped lightly by Kate. “Hey, she’s just reckless and bold not heartless you know.” Kate replied, it was so funny because sometimes the killers and survivors often argue about the fairness of the trials. If being hit and killed was not painful, it almost like they were playing a game.

“You don’t ask about Jake? He won’t let me touch him even a bit.” Kate was the one who asked the leader but she asked while smiling, it indicated that Kate already knew the reason of Jake looks tired.

“I’m pretty sure he exhausted by different reason from the other two.” Dwight replied as he blushed a little. He remembered when he chatted with Jake. The saboteur told him that sex with Myers outside of trials were different and harder for him because outside of trial the mark of obsession won’t appear at Jake’s shoulder blade.

Myers’ touch still nice for Jake even without the mark of obsession but Jake’s body had to ‘prepared’ more and ever since Myers found some tricks to prevent Jake from passed out from intense orgasm, they intimate moments lasted longer than before. Jake often carried back by Myers from Haddonfield in daze and his body was oversensitive. He refused to be touched if his body hadn’t calm down.

Dwight’s eyes accidentally met Jake’s. Jake’s eyes were tired and the saboteur face was still flushed too. Dwight just nodded at him as a gesture of ‘just take it easy’ and Jake nodded back at him.

“What will we discuss about, leader?” Meg asked him in her usual high spirit.

“Feng told me that she and Amanda finished the device we found in Hawkins laboratory, the one that allow us to travel to another sub-realm.” Dwight explained, the other were listened to him too.

“Yeah. Thanks to all the toolboxes and brand new parts you gave me too, Jake. Me and Amanda can finish it a lot faster.” Feng tapped at Jake’s shoulder lightly but it caused Jake to let out a muffled groan. Feng realized her error and apologized quietly at him.

“How about we test the device now? We may get some clue after we inspect the void.” The leader suggested.

“Will we enter it? Honestly, I’m scared. What if we can’t go back here?” Nancy seems unsure about their plan, she usually brave but the void was described really bad in the tome so no one was going to blame her for being afraid.

“I know it risky so this time we just take a look at it. Feng designed the portal wide enough for us to inspect it without entering it.” Dwight actually nervous too but he did a pretty good job at hiding it lately.

The survivors prepared themselves before they went to Hawkins laboratory because they could summon to a trial anytime. Jake’s body already calmed down now so he quickly prepared his toolbox. He also grabbed the key Michael gave him, since he didn’t want to use it as an offering, he just hung it on his waist and treated it as a charm.

When they arrived at Hawkins laboratory, Amanda already waited them in a room full of super computer. The survivors found this room when they opened some secret door in the laboratory. The portal would be as big as a wall on one side of the room, about 20 m2.

Amanda nodded at Dwight, it signaled that she was ready to activate the portal. Everyone were nervous but they had to do it. “Please activate it.” Dwight finally said to Amanda and a few minutes later, the portal shown them an image that beyond their imagination.

* * *

The survivors just came back from Hawkins laboratory in silence. Everyone were all thinking about the horrible image they saw trough the portal earlier. Jake still in loss like everyone, he never thought that he was so lucky that he never sent to the void.

The portal only last about 10 second but in that 10 second was enough to made them understand just how horrifying the entity is. First second Jake thought he saw a silhouette of huge mountain with a large tree on the top of it but seconds later he realized it was not just a normal mountain.

It was a mass of people who were live their live like an empty shell, the one that lose all the hope in their heart. Their body began to rot while they still alive, some survivors even vomited when the pungent odor produced by rotten body hit their nostril.

The tree’s roots were piercing the half rotten bodies, as if it absorbed all nutrients from those bodies. The tree roots almost resembled the claw that pierced survivors when they sacrificed. Those claws were probably the tree roots all along.

Some of mythologies were told a story about a great tree too like Yggdrasil, the entity may have a form resembling a tree too. It may be the reason why in their campfire were full of plants.

Some fogs were leaked from the void to the room. When it touched the survivors, they could hear voices, not just one or ten but million. It was the voices of pain and suffering from the peoples that tossed in the void.

Jake even could feel some of their memories were seeped to his head. It was memories of those people when they were killed, betrayed or hurt. Just when Jake thought he would lose his mind, the device broken and the portal was closed.

Just 10 second, but it almost enough to dragged all of survivors to the void too. Everyone in the room just silent. Amanda seems disturbed by it but she could keep her calm. When all survivors still tried to calm themselves, fogs began to appeared around them.

This time, Jake could hear his own voice. It was the entity, it congratulated him for made this far. It promised Jake that he would sent back to any world he wanted if he passes the ‘test’.

“Did everyone heard it too? The entity allows us to go to any world we want if we pass our ‘test’?” Adam broke the silence, it brought everyone’s though to the present and nodded at him.

“That’s why we sent to ‘trials’, it was our ‘test’ all along.” Tapp added.

“To test what? Our will to live? Even if we escaped the trial we still came back here.” Nea asked sarcastically she sound pissed.

“It probably ‘test’ our determination to reach our goals even when we had to suffer.” Laurie answered softly. She knew Nea was still shook so Laurie tried to soothe her.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude.” Nea seems calmed down a bit.

“Yeah, it’s alright.” Laurie smiled at her.

“What is entity anyway? A tree?” Yui looked really puzzled.

“I don’t know for sure what it is. In my opinion, it accumulated of countless negative memories and thoughts of living creatures. It just manifested itself like a tree.” Zarina tried to explain her opinion.

“So the one who brought us here was …” Jane’s voice started to trembled.

“Probably ourselves.” Bill said as he lit his cigarette. He looked calm but judging by the number of cigarettes butt that laid around his feet, Bill was stress too. 

“So what now!? We’re here because we deserved it? Is it really alright if we go back? Will we really become happier if we go back?” Meg snapped and yelled when she asked it and it made everyone shocked. Meg always the one in high spirit, she often cheered everyone who was feeling down. Claudette did her best to soothe Meg by hug her, Meg cried in Claudette’s arm.

Jake remembered when it’s just 4 of them, Meg told her past to him. She couldn't take the scholarship that offered to her because she had to took care of her sick mother. She would never fulfill her dream to become an athlete. She felt like she lost her future. She decided to not care about anything. She just doing what she was expected to like nursing her mother and took some part-time jobs to make some money. She became more despaired each day passed and it was the time she was brought here.

Jake understood Meg’s situations. He felt like that too, the moment Jake left his family and started to live in woods it meant he cut himself from society. No matter how much the technology advances, no matter who’s leading the country, it didn’t have a meaning to him. He felt like his live didn’t go back nor go forward as if his time has stopped.

Not just Meg, Jake could feel anxiety filled the air in the campfire, everyone just as scared as Meg. Jake already familiar by this feeling, the feeling of doubt to move forward or not.

“Whichever we chose, we still feel pain and suffering either way. The real question is: Will you endure your pain while trapped in here or will you endure your pain while you try to move forward by get out of here?” Jake answered while he gave Meg a sad look. But if there were pain and suffering, there also happiness because they like two side in one coin.

“You right Jake, and I already choose mine. I want to keep moving on so I’ll try my best to pass my ‘test’ and go back.” Laurie decided she want to change so she didn’t want to lose to herself anymore.

“It seems everyone need some time to think, the entity knows what we tried to do so it won’t summon us to a trial soon. We can use this spare time to rest. I’ll go take a walk for a bit.” After Dwight said it, he stood up and walked towards the woods.

Jake quickly followed Dwight. When he caught up to the leader, Jake patted Dwight’s shoulder, when Dwight turned around to face Jake, he looked pale.

“Evan knew this, right? He did some research about entity too in the past.” Jake knew Dwight was worried about the trapper now.

“Yeah, I think so … he never told me anything but if I’m in trouble he always knows what to do.” Dwight ashamed, he always with Evan but he didn't realize how much suffering Evan had been. This was why his former coworkers could easily fool him in his past world, he didn’t realize they tricked him to poison his boss.

“Dwight, this is your chance. You are the only one who can save him now.” Jake encouraged him, the raven haired man hoped Dwight and Evan relationship could work out well.

“Huh? Why?” Dwight seems confused, he didn’t understand what Jake was implying.

“…” Jake was dumbfounded. He couldn’t believe Dwight was so oblivious. “ _I'm impressed by your patience, Evan_.” Jake thought, he felt sorry for Evan and he had to hold this urge to snap at Dwight. In Jake’s perspective, Evan was obviously love Dwight and Dwight love Evan too.

“Jake?” Dwight seems worried at him.

“Just go Dwight. He need you.” Jake reassure him and the leader nodded at him before he walked towards the woods. Jake walked to the opposite direction, he went to Haddonfield.

* * *

“Did you see the void?” Evan heard his front door was opened and closed, he knew Dwight arrived at his cabin.

“Yes, do you ever see it too?” Dwight approached the taller man, Evan didn’t wear his mask. For Dwight, Evan so handsome even though there’s two notable scars on his face now. The one that cut his bottom lip was short but there’s a long diagonal one too that start from his right eyebrow and ended at his left cheek.

“No, my research never went as far as you. I never see the void but I can hear voices, millions of them. It’s so disturbing, I stab myself with iron to shift my focus from hearing those voices to pain. It’s the only way I can keep my sanity.” He gave Dwight a mug of coffee before he sat on a stool near the kitchen and drank his coffee.

“… I’m sorry.” Dwight sat on another stool beside Evan but he just put his coffee on his lap.

“You don’t have to. We become like this because of ourselves.” Evan said it before he took another sip of his coffee.

“Jake said I can help you but … I’m not sure how.” Dwight told him nervously, he kept rubbing his hands to his mug.

“That boy told you that?” Evan surprised when he heard that, Dwight just nodded as a reply.

The trapper let out a sigh before he put down his empty mug to a table behind him. “You want to help me?” Evan shifted his stool so he could be closer to the smaller man.

“O-of course! What should I do?” Dwight turned his head to face Evan.

“Keep talking.” Evan answered.

“Huh?” the smaller man just blinked and stared at the trapper.

“I said it before, I came back to my senses because I heard your voice. It always calm me down so let me hear your voice.” Evan leaned his face to Dwight’s right ear and whispered at smaller man.

“O-okay but let me stay with you. If we can get out of here, please let me go with you.” Dwight’s body began to tremble in anticipation.

“That’s so bold of you but I’m a dangerous man Dwight. Are you sure?” Evan continued to whispered to Dwight's ear, it made the smaller man’s body shivered.

“Yes … I’m sure.” Dwight raised his right hand to touched the back of Evan’s neck. The trapper used his left hand to grabbed at Dwight waist and slowly brought the smaller man to his lap. When Evan’s lips were tracing Dwight’s neck, the smaller man let out a gasp.

“Evan …” Dwight began to moan and it made the taller man pulled back his face and stared at smaller man’s eyes.

“Do you understand now the reason why that boy said you can help me?” They kept stared at each other eyes. Dwight’s face become warmer as he began to understand it, even without saying it, he knew Evan love him. Dwight answered with a nod and Evan kissed him.

At first the kiss was gentle but as time passes it become more intense, Evan’s tongue went inside of Dwight mouth. The smaller man couldn’t stop let out soft hum, it made the taller man more eager. Dwight could feel his body melting. Their kiss interrupted by the sound of glass breaking, it was Dwight’s mug. The smaller man had coffee spilled all over his shirt and pants, good thing the coffee already cold.

“Clumsy as ever, what should we do Dwight?” Evan stared at Dwight’s redden face.

“I-I’m sorry …” The smaller man really embarrassed because of his clumsiness.

“Don’t worry, I’ll help you to take this off.” Evan began to loosen Dwight’s neck tie. It made the smaller man let out startled moan.

MacMillan estate usually very quiet. The silence that sometimes made Evan could hear disturbing voices very clearly but this time, only Dwight’s voices echoing in MacMillan estate. It really calmed Evan's heart.

* * *

Jake arrived at Michael’s house, the front door never locked so Jake just entered the house as if it his own. When Jake was in living room, he saw Michael entered from the back door.

“Oh, welcome home. Where have you been?” Jake thought Michael was sleeping on second floor. He was surprised the first time when he saw Michael sleep, he realized that Michael need sleep like any other human. When he slept, he covered his upper face with his hand though so Jake still hasn’t seen his face.

Jake just stared at Michael, he remembered about the discussion earlier. He never knew Michael wanted to get out of here or not. Honestly, Jake wanted to go back to his world. He wanted to settle things with his family but the thought of separating with Michael already too much for him.

He wanted to ask but he had to prepare his heart so he could accept any possible answer. Jake knew Michael like to kill. If he didn’t want to stop, it would become disaster to brought him outside of this realm, a lot people would die for no reason so the only option Jake had was to continue living here as a survivor. His days of got attacked and killed will continue. Would he do it? Could he endure it for Michael?

Jake’s train of thoughts were interrupted by a warm hand on his left cheek. Michael was stood in front of him, stared at him as he tilted his head.

“Michael, do you ever thought about stop killing?” Jake raised his gaze to meet Michael’s, to searched the answer but the only respond Jake received was silence as the older man clenched his other hand. He could hear Michael breath become louder as if he suppressed his anger. Michael was different from killer like the trapper, the older man has some mental issue to begin with.

Jake just lowered his gaze, he had his answer. Like he said to Meg before being here or other world actually the same it was just a matter of choice you take. His choices now either be with Michael here forever or went back home but he had to live without Michael. Whichever he chose, it would slowly kill him either way. If Michael didn’t want to stop killing …

Jake took a few step forward to get closer to Michael and leaned his head to the older man’s chest. Michael seems slightly confused by it but he put one hand on Jake’s head and the other one on the younger man’s waist.

“Michael, please don’t leave me. You are all I have.” Jake made his choice, he decided to be here with Michael. When all his friends were leave this realm, Michael would be the only one Jake had. They ended up stood there together before Jake was brought by Michael to the second floor.

* * *

Dwight sat quite far from the crowd at campfire, dazed. It was rare for him to distancing himself from his friends so everyone just wondered what’s wrong with him. Jake just came back from Haddonfield when Kate asked him what happened to their leader.

“What happened to him? Everyone are worried.” Kate approached Jake and whispered at him.

“It’s trapper.” Jake answered.

“Oh.” Kate understood. She seems relieved when she heard that.

“Hey guys, look what I found! When I successfully blind a killer, the confetti pop from this flashlight.” Nea just come back from her trial. Everyone gathered around her to check out her flashlight, including Kate. Jake approached Dwight and sat beside him, he could hear Dwight said something but he couldn’t hear it clearly.

“What is it?” Jake asked.

“… it hurt when he went too deep …” Dwight answered while hiding his face with his hands. The leader definitely blushed.

“Ah … yes, same for me too. Next time try to stretch yourself more before you do it with him.” Jake blushed slightly too. Dwight put down his hand, Jake could see he was paler. Dwight realized that in this realm their body condition would reset after trials.

“Jake, if it was my first time so …” Dwight asked Jake just to be sure.

“Yeah, he’ll take your virginity all over again every time your body reset.” It was same as Jake too with Michael.

“You look fine this time.” Dwight tried to change the topic since he too embarrassed to continue talk about it.

“Yeah, Michael just cuddled me in bed. Come to think of it, it’s the first time he did it.” Jake just chuckled when he remembered it. He never knew Michael could do something like that. He and Dwight talked different topic now.

The campfire become more lively since everyone already calmed down from the previous event. They probably already picked their choice too, it would be sad to say goodbye to them but they were all came from different time and place with Jake so even if he decided to get out from this realm, there was huge possibility that He never met them. Jake would always remember what they gave to him, his title.

Some of them probably would stick together like Claudette and Meg. Claudette said she lost her parents so she may go back to Meg's world. Jake understood he depended on Michael in a bit unhealthy way but he fine with it. Jake and Michael relationship was different from normal people but it’s fine too.

People bonds were like colors. They were different but that didn’t mean it becomes a limit but becomes a diversity. Jake smiled as he watched his friends. He definitely going to enjoy their remaining time together here to the fullest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think Jake will eventually leave the entity's realm with Michael but they just has to be there longer than other survivors. The day Michael can shift all his interest in killing people to Jake will be the day they get out from there.
> 
> I can't remember which one but I read from an archive in the tome that killers original world already merged to the entity's realm so I think Evan will follow Dwight to his original world and Michael will go follow Jake.

**Author's Note:**

> If you read this note, it means you read all chapters in this part (some of you may read from part 1 of this series too) and I'm so grateful of it. Thank you very much for reading my works, I know I still make a lot of mistakes and there's error everywhere but they said 'practice make perfect' so I'll try to improve my writing skills as much as I can by keep writing


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